Are you ready? We have identified 103 course readiness skills that are needed to be successful in this class. Many students start 6th grade not having mastered these skills. It is your responsibility to work outside of class on these skills to be successful in class! I BELIEVE that with effort EVERYONE can be successful! Built into the course's homework are the tools to help you do this! (See ALEKS below)
Mathematics is a "standards based" subject. This means we have a clearly defined set of standards that we are exposing students to at 6th grade. These are the Common Core Standards that have been adopted by Washington State. Your conceptual understanding of these standards is what the majority of your grade is based on at 6th grade. (60%)
At 6th grade there are 29 different standards that students are trying to reach. Each of these standards have multiple conceptual understandings and skills connected with them that we are trying to teach the students and within these standards 21 have been identified as "focus skills" for 6th grade. These are based on research by Renaissance, our school districts resource for intervention and progress monitoring.
This academic year, 2024-2025, we have adopted a new curriculum, Reveal Math by McGraw Hill. It consists of 2 volumes, along with an on-line components, ALEKS (Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces) a web-based assessment and learning system. ALEKS uses adaptive questioning to quicklly and accurately determine exactly what a student knows and doesn't know in a course. ALEKS then instructs the student on the topics they are most ready to learn. As a student works through a course, ALEKS periodically reassesses the student to ensure that topics learned are also retained.
All students start at different places in my classroom. This can be viewed as a strenghth to our inclusive classroom. Each child brings a wealth of knowledge and it is our job as a class to honor each students assets. Working collaboratively is an important part of math, and students are expected to work with each other.
Every decision I, as a math educator, make matters! I try to build my class with a Universal Design for Learning, UDL Framework, so that I have planned for a range of different abilities, strengths, and needs at the design stage- so that I have to "retrofit" the lesson less during instruction. Below are the outcomes of those decisions.
I BELIEVE in an inclusive classroom. ALL students are welcome and I BELIEVE in their ability to learn. I try to learn what strengths they bring, what scaffolding needs to be put in place to allow all students access to the work that they are being asked to do, and connect the math to their interests when possible. This allows me to make instructional choices and to help connect the learning to the individual students’ lives. We use two different tools to help us make choices about a students "next steps" both STAR Math progress monitoring and the ALEKS programs are diagnostic tools. These tests are informative and NOT part of a students grade. ALEKS may also be used this year for checking students understanding of the standards. The outcome from these 3 question tests will be part of the students grade.
Grades and feedback to encourage student learning growth are my primary objective. My grading policies follow the student handbook.
Weighted Grades: (Grade weight changed on September 22, 2020)
60% Assessment of 6th grade standards.
Projects (have a "hard" deadline and will not be accepted late.)
Tests (3 questions per standard/skill that students will not have access to before the test. Students will have multiple opportunities to show mastery) This work must be completed independently. In this category I follow the schools Mastery Learning Policy for Tests.
40% Class Work/Homework. Because STUDENTS have complex lives, I will at my discretion accept these late or "no count" them on an individual case by case basis.
MONDAY- Goal Setting and Testing:
Or on the first day of the week, students will set a SMART goal (after seeing the classroom's overall learning target for the week) This is based on what the class is working on. This MUST be a MATH SKILLS goal .
This will also start a new week for their weekly ALEKS learning based both on time and topics. (Monday - Sunday)
This is also the regular testing day for previous materials and benchmark and progress monitoring!
Daily- Learning Activities: This is a students own original work but can be worked on collaboratively- not copied. Learning opportunities happen daily in class. (Grades are not assigned to this work as it is collaborative following the school policy - and allowing for students to know that it is okay to make mistakes, revise and learn. This is about learning and not copying to get correct answers.) Students are expected to engage in all learning activites, and a pattern of non-engagement will be handled through the schools step process to better understand what is happening and what needs to be done for the student to be successful. They will track this work in their weekly graphic organizer called a "packet." It is collected each Friday. If a student misses over half of the week or has an excused absence on the day it is due it will be excused, no counted.
Weekly - ALEKS: Homework: 60+ minutes per week and 10 topics is the weekly goal for ALEKS. I will accept 12 topics with no minimum time. Note that time is collected by just having the browser open and so it isn't a great measure of what your student is doing for homework. It is better to click on REPORT on the left tab of ALEK and look further into the topics and time tile for a breakdown on problems. When a knowledge check happens students will be credited with a topic for every 5 minutes that they spend on it up to 10 topics maximum. (maximum changed on November 4th, 2024) Students must complete the knowledge check for actual minutes to be credited and students should not spend more than 30 - 45 minutes on a knowledge check. Students that don't have access to wifi at home can arrange to work on their homework at school. See me or their home room teacher.
FRIDAY- Checking Work and Deciding Next Steps. Most Fridays are shortened learning days with the 90 minute early release. Notes are placed in student binders to allow them to have them for future classroom tests. Packets are turned in for class work credit.
0% Odds & Ends. These are items noted in the grade book for communication with parents, but do not influence your grades as they are not part of the learning process. For example, returning progress reports or permission slips, signed syllabus, binder checks, behavior reports, and reports of minutes on ALEKS. (entered into gradebook as 1 point, but 0% of grade calculation)
All regular items are worth 10 points, and typically a breakdown of the scoring will be given on each assignment, see skyward.
Many items like daily classwork, weekly homework and packets are not able to be made up- They are most often based on following through on committment and following directions, a skill that should be learned while the stakes are low- a very small percent of the grade. (40% category with many items in the category each quarter.)
Homework grade is based on the number of topics that the student completes up to 10 per week. Scores range from 0 - 10.
Packet Grades are based on the students cover sheet. Page 1 has 6 possible points. Page 2 has 4 possible points. Other pages throughout the packet can be attempted in class to help make up any missed points on the cover sheet. Scores range from 0 - 10.
Multiple times throughout the quarter, but particularly towards the end of the quarter, some class work items will be completed not for an original grade in the gradebook, but will be used to replace the students lowest class work or home work grade. This allows students to redeam theirselves. When a replacement grade is put into the grade book it is noted with, "Ex: Alternate Assignment"
Many Regular classwork items typically ranges from 6 to 10 points if completed.
0 Missing (opportunity to complete)
5 Missing (no opportunity to complete)
6 No Understanding (minimally completed)
7 Incomplete Understandings
8 Emerging (partially completed)
9 Proficient
10 Exemplary (completed)
3 question TESTS are worth 10 points, and they will be graded the following.
Projects are worth differing amounts (50 point example below) and are part of the 60% category like tests. They may be graded as the following example:
25 Missing (Hard Deadline)
30 Attempted (Turned-in by Deadline)
31-50 points (Earned by criteria)
Mastery Learning Policy ALL Student will be given opportunity to improve their TEST grade throughout the semester by striving for Mastery of the Standards on TESTS.
This policy is in place to allow students to master standards over the course of a unit, and so applies to only to tests.
I will progress monitor and may offer multiple opportunities to each class on the 3 question TESTS. This could range from one to three opportunities per standard. Students that have achieved 3/3 on the TEST will not be required to retake the TEST. Once whole class testing is complete students can use various methods to show mastery:
Error Analysis Reflection: Completing both the Tutorial Request Form (TRF) and Reflection- After the Tutorial form (AVID forms) and getting outside help to understand the standard.
Retake: Retaking the 3 question test on their own time by making arrangements to come in before or after school.
Khan Academy/ALEKS : If parallel problem exist students will be given the opportunity to work through the problems to achieve mastery on-line.
Late, missing, or incomplete classwork, tests or projects. See grading criteria above.
AVID at Hoquiam Middle School. (Advancement via Individual Determination) is a college and career readiness program designed to ensure all students are academically and socially prepared for success. AVID is offered as an elective class as well as various AVID strategies are implemented school-wide. The program will continue to focus on ORGANIZATION as it is a skill important in schools, careers and other aspects of daily life. All students are required to bring their binder/planner to class to help them stay organized. Students will write notes to their future selves and these must be kept in their binder.
Students are responsible to participate in all classroom activities and assignments, but this can look different for individual students. Regular class participation, working collaboratively, and attendance throughout the quarter is necessary to receive a grade in this class, but attendance does not effect the grade, as you will be given the opportunity to make up missed assessments.
Student responsibilities after an absence. You are responsible for learning so that you can master the standards. Take responsibility for your own education. Do not wait until the last minute to ask for help.
For prearranged absences. You are responsible for making sure that you understand the essential questions and the materials that are going to be covered in class. Assessments must be completed in a timely manner, and will be shown in the grade book as "missing".
For unexpected absences. Peers are a great resource and can help you be responsible.
For extended absences, please have your family check in the office for materials that can be sent home. I am willing to work with you independently if you need it, please have your parents make arrangements. Once you return to school, if you missed a quiz or a test you must make arrangements to come in as soon as possible before or after school to make this up.
